The present invention relates to a new and improved motor vehicle or power craft drive system.
Heretofore known motor vehicle drive systems encompass combustion engines, in particular two-stroke cycle or four-stroke cycle piston engines, especially Otto-cycle engines and Diesel engines. Rotary piston engines are only available to a limited extent as motor vehicle drive systems, and turbine drives as well as drive devices which encompass electric motors are still in the experimental stage and not yet commercially available.
In comparison to turbines combustion engines constructed as piston engines possess good efficiency and rapid load adaptability, but unfortunately deliver a large amount of noxious exhaust gases into the atmosphere.
Piston engines of the type where the fuel for operating the same contains lubricating oil are particularly environmental polluting.
According to the present available technology the prevailing means for overcoming the detrimental effects of the noxious exhaust gases, especially the exhaust gases of Otto-cycle engines, encompass catalytic devices or catalyzers generally possessing an afterburner in which, in particular, carbon monoxide gases which are extremely polluting to the environment are burned to produce carbon dioxide gases. The energy delivered to the gases due to the combustion process is, however, not recoverable. It is lost at the exhaust in the form of exhaust gases possessing increased heat content or thermal energy. Catalytic systems are also extremely expensive.
In comparison to piston engine power or drive systems the turbine drive systems exhibit poor efficiency, adapt their output quite poorly to load changes and produce hot exhaust gases. Since, however, combustion occurs with an excess of air the exhaust gases are less polluting to the environment.
Motor vehicles equipped with electro-motor drive systems possess heavy batteries which must be recharged much too often.